Joe Adler

With just three and a half months left until 2013, regulators are under pressure to release a boatload of new regulations, including some of the most contentious items on their plate.

The FDIC is trying to help bankers prep for exams and more clearly understand the results as part of a broader effort at improving relations, Martin Gruenberg, the agency's acting Chairman, said.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. warned banks under its watch Wednesday about the risks of acquiring participations in loans while relying too heavily on originating institutions for the underwriting.

The FDIC highlighted continued use of "alternative financial services" in its second-ever survey reporting the share of households that are unbanked or underbanked.

Although creditors could lose money in FDIC wind-downs of large firms authorized by the Dodd-Frank Act, many of them may own a piece of the startup that emerges from the failed company's ashes.

Agency is reviewing exam and rule-writing policies to explore ways to make regulation more efficient for community banks.

WASHINGTON — State regulators closed First Commercial Bank in Bloomington, Minn., late Friday in the industry's 41st failure this year.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. next week will unveil the latest national estimates of who is unbanked in this country.

Following the regulator's designation of larger consumer reporting companies for supervision, the CFPB said examiners will assess the accuracy of credit reports and how companies disclose information to consumers about credit scores.

Transaction Account Guarantee program was voluntary when it began. Why not make it optional for banks again?

Programs to strengthen bank liquidity, facilitate credit and buy mortgages were good moves, though it is hard to say how much worse things would have been in their absence, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke said at the Jackson Hole summit.

FDIC's Quarterly Banking Profile shows broad improvements in the number of institutions making more loans. But with rock-bottom interest rates squeezing margins, banks yet again looked toward reduced loss provisions to drive earnings.

The banking industry earned $34.5 billion in the second quarter as continued declines in loan loss expenses outpaced a reduction in net interest margins, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said Tuesday.

With credit quality still improving in corporate loans shared by multiple banks, the financial industry produced the first increase in shared credits in three years. Yet deterioration is still higher than norms.

The agency discusses recent steps by financial institutions to participate in healthy-food investment cooperatives, and says lenders could earn Community Reinvestment Act credit for spurring such activities in areas that need it.

Agency tasked with overseeing resolutions of systemically risky firms will get assist from the SIPC when a broker-dealer is involved. But how exactly will their collaboration work?

WASHINGTON — The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. next Tuesday will release its latest quarterly update on earnings, loan growth and other indicators for the entire banking industry.

After years of questions over whether regulators can impose "source-of-strength" rules, regulators are prepping a clearer standard that would, among other things, give them more oversight of some commercial firms such as Target and Toyota.

New proposals would require appraisals for "higher-risk" mortgages, and compel lenders to notify borrowers of their right to an appraisal report. But loans meeting the special QM standard would enjoy a lighter touch.

Federal regulators issued proposals on Wednesday that would make home appraisals essentially compulsory in certain cases before banks can approve a loan.